Fishing reel



Nov. 16, .1943. F. BURDICK 2,334,244

FISHING REEL Filed-May s1, 1941 l@ ZM@ Patented Nov. 16, 1943"V UNITED sTATEsj "PATENT: OFFICE f FISHING REEL litrarillz: Burdick, Kalamazoo, AMilch., assigner to Shakespeare Company, 'Kalamazom Mich., a :corporationof Michigan W I I g Application May 31, 1941, serialv No. 396,059

7 claims. (Ci. isisnl This invention-relates to improvements in fishing reels, more particularly, to aspool cap lock. The principal object of `the invention resides in the provision of a simple and durable means for use in connection with `the spool rictional drags of "fishing reels to prevent loss of vital adjusting parts thereof, especiallyin thoseftypes of reels used in heavy fishing, more'generally identified as salt water shing, wherethe loss of such parts is quiteapt to result in loss4 of iish and,fre quently, the mental equilibrium of thesherman;

consequently, the loss citrade good Awill, by the V tackle manufacturer. y

More particularly, itis an vention to provide a shing reel friotional` drag assemblywitha lock, operative at a predetermined time, whereby the cap of an equipped dragassembly bushing will be positively prevented from becoming accidentally or undesirably disengaged therefrom and yet, `will'allowfull and effectual `range of adjustment of such cap upon the bushand in part description based thereupon, set outseveralem-- bodiments of my invention.` l j In this drawing:

Figure 1 l is a side elevation of Va' reel equipped vwith'the invention.

FigureZ is an enlarged fragmentary lvertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,` looking in the direction in which the arrows point. I

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, looking inthe direction in which the arrows point, showing the lock spring in an inoperative position with respect to the spool cap.

Figure 4 is a similar view showingf the lock spring in operative or engaged position with relation to the spool cap,`whereby to prevent rotation of the same in a direction to bring about its disengagement fromy the drag assembly bush- Figure 5 is an enlargedviragmentary section corresponding to Figure 3, illustrating a modiied `form of lock spring wherein the latter is an in* tegral part of theldrag assembly bushing; such modied lock spring being shown in an inoperative position with respect to the spool cap.

object of the Figure is a view corresponding toFigure 5, wherein the integral lock spring is shown in operative or engaged position with the spool cap -for locking same 4against further rotation in a certain direction; and i Figure 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section reel construction. It willbe understood, however, f

that adaptation of the invention may be effected .to any type of Ireel employing frictional` drag means and especially `reel spool drag means, as well as to capprovded reel bushings in general,

`In the illustrated application of the invention,

the reel tail plate isy designated by the numeral I; the reel crank, bythe numeral 2; the gear drag star, by the numeral 3; the usual click button, by. the numeral ll;Y the line `carriage tail bushing, bythe numeral 5 and the cross plate, by the numeral.'

A'spool frictionalfdrag assembly, generally identie'd by the numeral "I, is provided the tail plate I for controlling the character of rotation of the spool assembly, fragmentarily illustrated in Figure 2 and generally identified by the numeral l8. This frictional'spool drag assembly includes an externallyscrew-threaded spool bushing 9,11'0- tatably receiving a spool pivot I0, xedly mounted upon one ofthe pintles of the reel spool, and as will-be noted upon reference` tof Figure 2, is provided with a spool cap I I having adjustable screwthreaded engagement` with the bushing 9; said cap, if desired, having asuitable oil cup I2 engagedv with and lthrough the same. `Contacting friction washers I3 and I4 are arranged in the bushing 9, the former `engaging the outer end of the spool pivot Iii and the latter being provided with diametrically opposed, outwardly extendingngers I4' slidably received in correspondingly arranged slots or ways I5 disposed longitudinally Vof the bushing 9. Frictional interengagement between the washers I3 and iii isl nor,- mally urged by a helical spring It arranged in the spool cap l I and having adjustable Vor variable bearing upon the adjacent friction washer I4.

Thus, with rotation of thespool cap II on the quired, i. e., it may be adjusted to `eiectually vretard rotation or to permit of freer rotation of remain in engagement with the particular bushi' ing provided slot I5 receiving the same, and too, that the lock spring will be prevented from having longitudinal shifting movement in or with respect to the bushing El.l Obviously, the man- Y ner in which these lingers I'Ia are engaged in the When it is rotated counterclockwise, `frictional drag of the assembly 'I. will be accordingly decreased. During such drag decreasing adjustment of the cap Il, a fisherman, heretofore, was;V

required to exercise care to the extent that yhe did not'undesirably or accidentally disengagethe screw-threaded cap II from the screw-tl'ireadsy of the bushing 9, else loss of vital operating parts` ofthe drag assembly would be apt to occur along with the effecting of considerableannoyance to such fisherman. In order to eliminate these objectionable circumstances, I snugly engage. a semi-cir'cularly shaped lock spring I'I V'withinthe bushing 9 outi'zvardly of and'inijuxtaposed rela-` tionito the frictionwashe'r Ill. A pawl orcatch 'A element I8 is formed uponk one end of thelock spring I1 and hasits' outer Aface beveled 'as at I 8f the purpose of which will be subsequently apparent. The catch I8 is engaged-infone of the diametrioally opposed longitudinal'Wa-ys I5 inthe bushing 9, as shown in Figures Sand vIl ofthe accompanying drawing and {atftimesis adapted to be engaged ina marginallyv opening Way I9 formed in a portion of the side wall of the cap I Ip, as shown in the Figure 4. At this point, attention is invited to the fact that the yway I9A`provided in thejside of the vspool 'cap .-II, extends for but a', comparatively short distancel therein. In consequence, with counterclo'ckwiserotation of thev cap, the Way I9 will not be brought into longitudinal registration'with the paWl I8 of the lock spring I'I'until said cap has been turned to its near limit of outward v'movement uponthe bushing 9, before becoming disengaged therefrom, withthe result that the cap may be turned upon or from the bushing 9 so as topermit of full range of adjustment of the frictional drag assembly parts. When, however," the spool cap "is rotated to 'al pointwhere theway I9 is brought into registering relationship with the pawl I3, it will be immediatelymoved thereinto, under urge of the lock spring I1, hence, positively preventing further counterclockwise rotation lof 4the spool cap, consequently,-l preverting undesired disengagement of said cap from they bushing 9, Because of the beveled outer face formation lIl of the pawl I8, it will be seen that the spoolY cap I I may be rotated without interferencein a clockr wise direction upon the bushing to effect operation of the `frictionalgspool drag assembly in an entirely satisfactory manner. To disengage the spoolk cap ll'from the bushing 9, it is only necessary that the pawl I8 `be inwardlyrdisengaged` from the way I9 of the cap, hence, permittingr propriate or vadjacent portions of the bushing 9.

Thus, it will be understood that said lock spring II will be anchored or retained'within the bushing 9 sothat' its pawlv or catch element I8 will slots I IP will not interfere with exing movement of thelock spring Il and by consequence, the pawl I8.

In Figures 5, 6 rami 7, I have shown a modified y form of lock spring, so constructed as to be an integral part of the spool bushing. f To effect 'this, an acutely angular vsaw-cut 20 .is made transversely offajportion of the screw-threaded l bushing 9 preferably in proximity to the nor- 'mally outer end thereof.` This cut opens onto a side of one of the longitudinal slots I5 formed in the bushing 9 for slidably receiving the outwardly extending fingers |4 of the frictional washer I4 and thus, constitutes an integral lock spring element I'I,-tlie outer end portion lof which is disposed radially outwardly 'of the body of the bushing 9. Hence, with turning of the spool cap II" onto the screw-threaded bushing 9 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction,

the cap may be 'adjusted' to any desired position for effecting adjustmentof the frictional drag with the normally outwardly 'thrustfree end of the integral lock spring I'I, said free end will immediately engage' in the Way I9', Aasshown inl Figure -6, and thuavpreventL further continued counterclockwise rotation of thefcap.:y Therefore, l

undesirable or 'accidental disengagement ofthe cap from its bushing will be prevented, though I v if desired, the engaging` or paWl-like endA of lthe spring lockvI'Iwm'ay-be depressed so' as to be disengaged from withinv the wayIS, allowing the cap tokbe turned for disengagementfrom the bushing. ABeoause'of the normal disposition-v of the pawl-like or free end -of the integral lock spring Il', itwill be understood' that the"'c`ap l I may beclockwise turned into screw-threaded engagem'ent v viththe bushing 9 and that during such clockwise rotation, the. yway I9` will be allowed to freely ride over'and by the pawl-likeA v end of the lock spring Il.

The saw-cut or slot 20 in the-bushing 9, by meansv of which theintegral lock springHI'I' is formed,A as hereinbefore stated,r is preferably milled rat such an angle that when the integral lock spring element II is depressed'to unlock or free the spool cap Il for rotation, said in` tegral lock spring can vbe only depressed for a limited inward distance-i. e., it will be only exed inwardly enough to effect such unlocking movement, and that, without destroying its efciency as a spring lock by its inward flexing and settingk beyond the inner periphery of the bushing S'. The degree at which the cut or slot 2D is formed-or-milled may vary, though the par-l ticular angle thereof should be such thatthere will be relative overlapping arrangement kbetween the adjacent sides of the integral lock spring Il and the bushing Sl.

I claim:

1. A cap lock, including a bushing having' a Y longitudinally' disposed way formed in a portion of its side in proximity to its outer marginal portion, a cap rotatably engaged over the bush` ing having a marginally opening longitudinally disposed way formed in a portion of its side, a curved spring element received in the bushing, and a catch on one rend of the spring element,

normally engaged inthe way in said bushing and engageable, at times,- invthe Way in said cap.

2. A cap lock, including a bushing having an outwardly openinglongitudinally disposed way formed lin a portion .of `its side, a cap `rotatably engaged over the bushing having `a marginally,

opening longitudinally `disposed Way formed in a portion of its side, a curved spring element having a substantially flat outer side received ably engaged over the bushing having a longiin the bushing, and a catch on one end of the spring element, normally engaged in the Way in said bushing and engageable, at times, in the way in said cap.

3. A- cap lock, including Va bushing having a longitudinally disposed way formed in a portion of its side adjacent its outer end, a cap rotat-v ably engaged over the bushing having alongitudinally disposed Way formed in a portion of its side adjacent its normally inner marginal portion, a curved spring element received Within the bushing, and a cross-sectionally substantially U-shaped catch `on one( end ofv spring element normally engaged in the Way in said bushing and engageable, attimes, in the Way in said cap. l

4. A cap lock, includinga bushing having a longitudinally disposed way formed in a portion of its side, a cap rotatably engaged over the bushing having a longitudinally disposed 'Way formed in a portion of its side, acurved spring element received within the bushing, and a cross-sectionally substantially U-shaped catch on one end of the spring element, having one of its sides bevelled and its opposite side'substantially right-angularly shouldered, said catch tudinally disposed Way formed in a portion of its side adjacent its normally inner marginal portion, a springelement in the bushing', and a catch on'one end of the spring element having one of its sides bevelled and its opposite side substantially right-angularly formed, said catch normally engaging in the way in said bushing and engageable, at times, inthe Way in said cap.

6. A cap lock, including a bushing having a longitudinally disposed way formed in a portion .of its side adjacent "its outer end, a cap rotatably engaged over the bushing having a longitudinally disposed way formed in a portion of its side adjacent its normally inner marginal portion, and a spring actuated catch anchored within said bushing engaged in the Way therein and engageable,A at times, `in the way in said cap.

'7. A cap lock, including a bushing having a longitudinally disposed Way formed in a portion of its side adjacent its outer end,a cap rotatably engaged over the bushing having a longitudinally disposed Way formed in a portion of its side adjacent its normally inner marginal portion, and an outwardly movable catch anchored Within said bushing having one of its sides bevelled and its opposite side substantially right-'angularly shouldered, said catch being normally engaged inthe way in said bushing and engageable, at times, in the Way in said cap.

FRAM; BURDIOK. 

